Man complains he was asked to return company laptop after being retrenched

SINGAPORE: A man took to social media complaining that he was asked to return his company laptop after he was retrenched. He wanted to know if there would be consequences if he chose not to return the laptop.

In an anonymous post to popular confessions page SGWhispers, the man wrote that he had just been retrenched. He explained that he was hired through an employer-of-record arrangement. An employer of record (EOR) is an entity that legally employs workers on behalf of another business. An EOR takes full responsibility for all aspects of employment, including compliance, payroll, taxes, and benefits.

“A few weeks before I was retrenched, I received a signed letter from my employer confirming that I have passed my probation. However, as the letter did not come from the Employer-of-Record, I was given much less payment in-lieu of notice as the company argued that the letter of confirmation needs to come from the Employer-of-Record. I disputed the arrangement and called the company out for being disingenuous. I also told them that I will be holding on to the company laptop until they honor the letter of confirmation they gave me”, the man wrote.

He added that he had already received his last payment from the company, without the full payment in lieu of notice, and staff from the IT department had asked him to return the laptop. In his post, he asked netizens what his chances were of getting the company to pay him the full sum in lieu of notice if he takes his employment letter to the Manpower Ministry. He also wanted to know the possible consequences if he did not return the laptop.

Netizens asked him to refer to his employment contract. Others also suggested he go to the Manpower Ministry to clarify his doubts.

One commented: “Well.. refer to the contract. If the contract got nothing on this, it is their property, have to return. If goes to court, assuming they want to bring you there, you not receiving the compensation you want wouldn’t be considered as it is a seperate matter altogether. Try negotiating with them”.

Another netizen said: “I’m no expert in this, Since you have passed your probation, they have to pay you in accordance with the LOA sign. Question is, do you still have the LOA? Bring it down to MOM to resolve this dispute”. /TISG